Ephemeral Dream
Summary: Jaune Arc isn't strong, smart, or skilled. Even so, he dreams of a future in which he is a Huntsman. He dreams of friendship, combat, and love. But every dreamer must wake. "Not yet…" He whispered, tears of blood streaking down his cheeks. "I can't let this dream end… Until I've turned it to reality." Gamer Jaune!
Warnings: Crossovers, strong and smart Jaune, later quite OP. Possible Harem.
XIII: Resolution
After my shower, I took a seat and decided to buckle down and start grinding up Structural Analysis. I expected it was going to take about a day or two in order to get it done, so I thought I should just start now.
I was wrong.
[Structural Analysis is now Level MAX.]
[Due to reaching Level MAX, Structural Analysis is now Rank A+.]
[Due to reaching Level MAX with Structural Analysis, you have obtained 'Pure Eyes of Structural Analysis.']
[Due to reaching Level MAX with Structural Analysis and Projection, the Skill Projection has evolved to 'Projection (Tracing).']
As it turned out, Structural Analysis's Cost was reduced by 1MP every ten levels. With my huge MP stat, maxing out its level didn't take very long at all, and I still had MP to spare.
I opened up my new skills.
[Projection (Tracing) (Active) – Rank A+ – Lv. MAX]
Recreation of objects the user has seen. Not only are the objects replicated, but the entire history of the object is re-created. The user can tap into the history of the weapons, using them as if they were the original wielder.
Weapons Projected will be 1 Rank lower than their originals. Cannot project weapons of a higher rank than Projection. Cost: 10MP
[Structural Analysis (Active) – Rank A+ – Lv. MAX]
To learn about an object, its history and functions, the craft of its making, the materials used, everything, through touch. No MP Cost
[Mystic Eyes of Structural Analysis (Passive & Active) – Rank A+ - Lv. MAX]
Through relentless training of such a basic skill, it has now become part of the user as much as breathing. Passively allows the user to see the history, craft of making, materials used, and everything about weapons/armour seen. Actively allows the user to see the history, craft of making, materials used, and everything about other objects. No MP Cost.
I stared at the screens in front of me, then wiped my eyes and stared again, just to be sure I wasn't seeing thing.
… HACKS!
This shit was so god damn broken; it wasn't even funny! So, not only could I now create any weapons I'd seen, but I'd now know how the weapons were made, and I could use the techniques of the person when I used the weapon!
What was this shit!
And let's not forget the fact that both the Mystic Eyes and Structural Analysis now cost zero MP for me to use!
Broken, just so damn broken…
I dismissed the screens, rubbing the sides of my head, and decided to push that out of my mind for the time being. At least I would never need to worry about weapons again.
"Jaune!" I heard a knock on my door and Summer's voice. "It's time for breakfast!"
"Okay, I'll be down in a minute!" I called back, opening up my inventory and equipping a pair of jeans, a black shirt, and a white jacket.
I paused for a moment, opening up the store just to check something.
"… I can buy clothes with this thing?"
Very nice-looking designer clothes too…
I was one-hundred-thousand gold poorer as I made my way downstairs, feeling a bit embarrassed that I'd purchased an entire wardrobe of designer clothes for myself…
For those not keeping up, that meant I just spent one-million Lien on nothing but clothes… I didn't like to dig into stereotypes, but I sure felt like a girl right now…
I felt embarrassed as Yang and Ruby stared at me as I made my way into the dining room. I was clad in tight jeans, a form fitting black shirt, and long white and silver jacket that reached my ankles.
"… Aren't those clothes from the recently released Adele Designer Group?" Yang asked me, which only made my face turn a bright shade of red as I sat down.
"… I don't know what you're talking about," I responded as Summer set the table with the pancakes and the various things people put on their pancakes. I wasn't big about taste; I was fine with just plain sugar and lemon juice.
"So, what does everyone have planned for the day?" Summer asked as we all began to eat.
"I'm going to get some training done," Ruby said. "I want to practise the stances Raven showed me last week…" She shifted her gaze to Raven. "You promise to teach me the more advance stuff once I show I've mastered the basic stances?"
"I don't break my promises," Raven said. "The basics are important. Master those, and I'm fine with teaching you the more advanced techniques."
"What about you, Yang?" Summer asked.
"I'm going to tinker with the bike that dad said I could have when I turn sixteen," she responded. "Sure, I have to wait until next year, but I'm super excited to work on her!"
"Her?" I raised an eyebrow at Yang.
"Ruby treats weapons like they're people, don't judge me," Yang huffed. "Still need to think of a name, leaning Bumblebee… What do you think?"
"Is it because 'she' is going to be fast, and is primarily yellow and black?"
"… Shut up."
I only smirked at her.
"And you, Jaune?" Summer looked at me.
I paused, setting my knife and fork down. "I'm going to go to the hospital to check on Neo," I told her. "If she's well enough to leave, I'll take her shopping with me and then settle into my new home with her."
Silence reigned over the table, and I saw Ruby and Yang's smiles becoming slightly strained.
"It's only been a couple of days," Summer said softly. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," I nodded. "I know you wouldn't mind me living here, but I don't want to impose so much. Besides, Summer…" I gave her a small look. "I have a responsibility. You know this."
She gave a sad sigh of acknowledgement.
"What responsibility?" Yang frowned. "Why do you care about this Neo girl so much?"
"It's personal, Yang," I told her.
"No!" A surprising snap came from Ruby. "It isn't! You're just keeping it from us for some reason! Something must have happened between you and this girl to make you feel guilty, and now you're feeling like you have to take care of her for some reason!"
My eyes widened in shock as I stared at Ruby.
"How did you-?"
"I read comic books all the time, this stuff always happens," she said.
I slumped and groaned as I'd definitely just given myself away by responding… Of course, Ruby didn't know! Of course, she was just throwing out wild guesses!
Now I was left with the choice of coming clean, or coldly telling them to mind their own business, possibly damaging our friendship again.
… God damn it.
"Alright, I'll tell you both," I sighed, hoping the exposure to my Sky Flames wouldn't be enough to make them my Guardians. "But I want you both to keep this a secret, you got that?"
"Deal, now fess up," Yang said.
I sighed, lifting my hand… And letting my sky flames burst to life on my palm.
Tai, Yang, and Ruby all jumped in surprise, staring at the flames in my hand.
"These are called Dying Will Flames," I said. "The kind you see on my hand are known as Sky Flames. Every kind of Dying Will Flame contains a factor, a speciality. My Sky Flames possess the factor of harmony. However, they come with a downside. My flames can 'harmonise' with another person, creating a bond between us. It creates a mutual feeling in each other, to want to protect the other, to make them happy, to cause pain to those that hurt them…"
"And you harmonised with this Neo girl?" Yang asked, her eyes never leaving the flames in my hand.
I only nodded. "Yes. It wasn't on purpose… There are two ways to form the bond. Exposure to my flames overtime, or a huge amount of exposure in one burst… Considering what I went through, it shouldn't be a stretch to understand the second one is what happened to Neo."
"… I want one."
My eyes snapped towards Ruby. "What?"
"I wanna have a bond with you like Neo's," she said firmly. "I already want to make you happy and stuff, so it shouldn't make a difference!"
"I'm with Ruby on this," Yang said, making me look at her too. I was in such shock from their words, I completely forgot to stop using my flames. "Clearly, these flame things are a big deal. So, it's obvious we're gonna stand by you no matter what. To make sure we don't make the same mistake we did two years ago."
"This and that are completely different!" I exclaimed. "Summer, Raven, back me up here!"
"Actually, I don't think it's a bad idea," Raven said, making me look at her with betrayal. "Oh, don't look at me like that! You said everyone has these flames. With you and others starting to learn how to use them, it's only a matter of time until they start popping up everywhere. With that in mind, someone could easily force the bond onto Ruby or Yang. If they're going to bonded, I'd prefer they be bonded to someone who I know won't try and abuse it."
"She's got a point," Summer admitted.
"But… But…"
"Jaune," Tai spoke up. "You had to have known that, when you said this, the girls would react like this. That was why you decided to try and not mention this, right?"
"W- Well… Yes…" I nodded. "I don't want to force that kind of bond onto them."
"And yet, they're willing to share that bond with you," Tai said. "If I were to trust anyone to have that sort of bond with my daughters, you are at the top of the list. So, why are you hesitating?"
"I…"
Why was I hesitating?
Was it because I felt the bond was forced? Was it because I didn't want to get the girls involved?
… No, those were only the lies I was telling myself.
Of course, the bond wasn't forced. If it were, would Blake and Neo be nearly as happy to feel like they did. They would have more conflicted expressions, wondering why they were feeling the way they did.
The reason I was hesitating was because I'd still felt like I could protect them somehow. That I could protect them from the dangers of associating with me too much, the dangers the System would present before me.
I was being nothing but a fool in trying to do so.
Miyuki was a perfect example of that. I'd barely interacted with her, and yet the System had told me of Bounty Hunters and the like that were going to be coming to kidnap her.
If that happened after less than 24 hours of interacting with Miyuki, what would happen if I had extended interaction with Yang and Ruby?
The best way to protect them… Was to forge this bond, and help teach them how to use their own flames.
With that thought, the flames spread from my hand, wrapping around Yang and Ruby. The three adults quickly jumped up, but paused upon seeing that Yang and Ruby weren't in pain, and they weren't burning. Instead they looked… Happy, at peace.
[You have forged a Guardian Bond with Ruby Rose.]
[You have forged a Guardian Bond with Yang Xiao Long.]
[Your bond with Yang Xiao Long has increased to Rank B.]
[Due to finding your resolution, you have unlocked 'Sun Flames.']
[Due to finding your resolution, you have unlocked 'Storm Flames.']
The flames soon died down, Ruby and Yang looked at each other in surprise, and then back to me. "Is this feeling…" Yang asked softly.
"Yeah," I nodded. "That's the bond."
"It's…" Ruby looked lost for a moment. "It's wonderful. I feel… I feel complete."
I only nodded, opening my bonds menu to see just what type of flames they had.
Guardian Bond – Ruby Rose – Sun – Rank B
Guardian Bond – Yang Xiao Long – Storm – Rank B
… Huh, why did I have the weirdest feeling that had the potential of being the other way around?
I shook it off, opening up the skills describing the Sun and Storm Flames.
[Sun Flames (Active) – Rank E – Lv. 1]
Dying Will Flames of the Sun. Gentle flames that are often possessed by those with bright personalities. Sun flames possess the factor of Activation. The stronger the user's will, the more intense the flames.
[Storm Flames (Active) – Rank E – Lv. 1]
Dying Will Flames of the Storm. Rough flames often possessed by those with strong personalities or who are quick to anger. Storm flames possess the factor of 'Disintegration.' The stronger the user's will, the more intense the flames.
Interesting… In any case, Storm flames were clearly combat based. Sun Flames, that was confusing…
What did Activation mean? Did it mean activating the cells? That could mean they were made for healing…
Wait.
Activating the cells didn't just mean they could be used for healing. It could also mean activating the cells throughout the body, and improving the body. Like causing the heart to pump blood faster, or something along those lines.
I could only smile.
"Well then…" I said, making Ruby and Yang look at me. "If you're going to be in this with me, you should learn how to summon out your flames, right?"
~~Ephemeral Dream~~
After helping Ruby and Yang awaken their flames, I made them both promise to be careful with them when testing them out. Yang especially, as hers were more destructive than Ruby's.
In the process Summer, Tai, and Raven also awakened their flames. Tai had Sun Flames, Raven had Lightning Flames, and Summer had Rain Flames. I could only ask them to be careful, as I didn't know what Lightning and Rain Flames could do.
I then spent a few hours with Yang and Ruby, training with them in using my Storm and Sun flames. I tested out my theory on if Sun Flames could be used in combat, and they most certainly could. They made punches stronger, made the person using them faster, and allowed them to heal just a bit faster from hits.
In other words, Sun Flames were broken.
Storm flames were pretty destructive, as Yang found out when she fired a blast of them with a punch, completely destroying a nearby tree. I could see in her eyes light up as the tree was destroyed, and feared that I'd created a pyromaniac.
At 11AM, I began to head to the hospital. It was about a half hour or so walk, so I would get there at 11:30. Then, if Neo was allowed to leave, then the two of us could head to an all you can eat buffet and then do some shopping after. I'd have to stop by the grocery store and the supermarket to pick up food to fill the fridge and the cupboards, as well as cutlery, pots and pans…
I was so thankful for my inventory.
'Lancer,' I spoke through our mental link. 'How's Miyuki?'
'She's fine, Jaune,' Lancer responded. 'You were right to have me guard her. Late last night someone snuck into her room, and they didn't share any sort of resemblance to her. I killed them and then I disposed of the body.'
'Good,' I responded… Funny, I wonder why I didn't feel so bad about that person's death?
Eh, it was probably because they were going to kidnap Miyuki. I didn't dwell on it much.
'The people who want her must want her to be unharmed,' I told Lancer. 'The best way to do that is to try and take her when she's defenceless or asleep. Ideally, I'd prefer you there around the clock on Weekends, and you can have the daytime on school days off to play games and do other stuff, sound good?'
'Sounds like a plan!' She hummed in agreement. 'Make sure you buy plenty of video games while you're out today, got it? I'm gonna have a fucking marathon while you're out at school!'
I only gave a soft chuckle. 'You got it.'
As it turned out, Neo was free to leave the hospital. Thanks to my Charisma skill, it didn't take much convincing to let me sign the papers for her.
She was led to me by the Doctor that had taken care of me, dressed in a plain white dress. They'd thrown out the rags she'd worn in her cell, instead giving her a simple dress for now. I thanked the Doctor, and Neo gave me a smile.
"Sorry I didn't come visit in the last couple of days," I told her. "I've had a lot of things to do… But I've got us a house now."
Her eyes lit up in excitement.
"We're not going there yet," I told her. "First, how about we head to an all you can eat place and get some good food in you?"
The way her eyes widened and she nodded rapidly gave me the answer.
I smiled as I led the way to the restaurant, a small blush coming to my cheeks as I felt her arms looping around mine, hugging it against her chest.
I looked down at her, only to receive a bright smile aimed at me. "So, did you play with your flames at all in the hospital?"
She shook her head, and I felt a burst of relief rush through me. Good, so Neo was responsible enough to know to not play with fire in a Hospital.
"Good," I nodded at her. "We'll talk more at the buffet."
She only nodded.
Soon enough, we arrived at the buffet place. We were led to a table, and immediately I led her to the buffet table. The both of us piled our plates, before we headed back to our table and sat down, starting to eat.
"So," I spoke up. "Probably an obvious answer, but I hope you're glad to be out of the hospital."
'Well, obviously!'
I only chuckled at her answer. "Well I hope you won't mind, but I've arranged some people to tutor you."
She tilted her head. 'Tutor how?'
"Well, you grew up on the streets…" I said slowly, and she nodded. "So, you never got a proper education. And I don't doubt you can probably fight, but you need a more solid fighting style over what you have. So, I asked the parents of my friends to put you through an accelerated learning and training course during school days."
She frowned. 'Why though?'
"Because I plan to attend Beacon Academy, which is a boarding school," I told her. "I'd assumed you'd rather stay by my side and attend with me, was I wrong?'
'You aren't…'
"And I want you to experience living like a normal girl," I told her. "I want you to be able to make friends, attend school, do all of that stuff. You won't be able to join me this year, but I'm hoping half a year of tutoring and training will have you prepared to attend Signal with me starting next year… Is that okay?"
She stared at me… Before she flashed a smile and nodded. 'Okay, I'd like that… Though next time, please do talk about it with me beforehand?'
"Of course," I nodded. "I just did this one thing without you, because I wasn't sure you'd have thought of it. The sooner you can start your studying, the better you'll be."
She gave a nod of understanding. 'That's what I'll do on weekdays, what about Weekends?'
"Weekends…" I rubbed my chin. "That's up to you. I was thinking you could use Weekends to train your semblance and practise with your Mist Flames, see if you can use the two together or anything. Of course, you don't have to. If you want, you can just use the weekends as time off and that will be just fine."
She smiled widely and nodded. '… So, what are we doing after we eat?'
"We're going to buy you clothes," I told her. "A whole wardrobe, just for you. Then we'll go to the supermarket to buy a lot of things for the house. It's gonna be a lot, but I have a way to carry it all thankfully."
'You're cooking dinner?'
"Yes," I nodded. "Also, every two days, we'll go to our neighbours house and eat dinner with them. That was one of the conditions they gave in order for them to buy the house and put it in their name so we wouldn't have any legal troubles."
'I don't have a problem with that, so long as they don't try and push me into talking.'
"They won't," I promised. "They're all really nice, I promise.
She looked a bit doubtful, but nodded. I supposed that she would take my word for it, though she wouldn't hold many expectations.
~~Ephemeral Dream~~
Shopping took a long time.
Buying Neo's clothes alone took almost two full hours, though that was also because she wanted to try on all her clothes to be sure they fit. She was very short, so it was hard to find clothes that didn't look childish. That was also time consuming: finding clothes in her size that weren't childish.
Then grocery shopping took about two hours in and of itself because of just the sheer amount I had to buy. Pots and pans, cooking utensils, bowls, plates, jugs, everything. Then I had to buy at least two weeks' worth of food just to be safe. It didn't help that Neo didn't really know what food she liked and didn't liked… Though she would probably think anything was delicious considering she lived on the streets.
Then, finally, we went shopping for beds.
I didn't care if there were beds already in the house. I was going to have a god damn king-sized bed, and nobody was going to stop me! I didn't even care if it barely fit in my room, I would have it!
Shopping for beds took around an hour, but Neo and I managed to find what we were looking for. I found a nice King-Sized bed with a comfortable mattress, and Neo got a Queen-Sized one.
Then, after that, I bought three flat screens, two dressers, plenty of video games, two computers, two desks, and comfortable chairs.
Of course, I stored everything except Neo's clothes in my inventory. I explained it away as a semblance I created to Neo, giving her the same lie I told to Blake and Miyuki.
Why didn't I store her clothes in my inventory?
Because I didn't want to have even a chance of knowing just what underwear she'd decided to buy, that was why!
I walked up to the door of our new home, taking the key out of my inventory and unlocking it. I took a breath… And pushed the door open, stepping inside and starting to inspect mine and Neo's new home.
It was the same as the Xiao Long's. Well, not the exact same. The walls were a plain white, waiting to be painted, and the furniture was set up in different places, and were different brands and such. Otherwise, the house was almost like a mirror copy of the Xiao Long's house.
I only smiled. "Right," I looked at Neo, who was looking around with joy. "First, we'll leave the bags in the hall. We'll first take our time unpacking the groceries and packing away everything. It'll help you learn where things are packed, and you'll learn where to pack away the food. Is that fine?"
She nodded rapidly, and I led her to the kitchen. I took everything out of my inventory, and we set about packing.
Most of the talking done as we packed was me telling her where to pack certain things, and saying where I was putting things for her to know in future. I was hoping Summer also taught Neo how to cook a bit for if I couldn't make anything for her, or for if she wanted a small snack during the day.
Unpacking everything took a solid hour, that was just how much there was. We then headed upstairs and inspected the rooms. Besides a wardrobe, a bed, and a desk, the rooms were completely bare.
The first thing Neo and I did was decide the rooms. I claimed the room that was likely Taiyang's, while Neo took a slightly smaller room that likely belonged to Yang. I then stored the beds in my inventory, and took out our brand new King-sized and Queen-sized beds respectively.
We then set the bedding on the beds, and I taught Neo how to do it as we set the bedding on mine, then watched her set the bedding on hers to make sure she was doing it right. She was a bit confused about why we did that, and I had to explain that not using bedding could damage the mattress, and that we had to change the sheets at least every one to two weeks otherwise it was unhygienic.
Then, once that was done, I taught Neo how to pack her clothes in her wardrobe. I told her to store her underwear in the dresser, and she could also store her pants in there, while her shirts, jackets, coats and such should go in the wardrobe.
I then took out a desk and chair from my inventory, setting up the computer for her, and told her that I would teach her how to use it after dinner, and then removed one of the flatscreens and set it on top of her dresser, hooking it up so she could watch TV in her room.
With that done, I left Neo to pack away her clothes while I headed downstairs and began to cook dinner.
Today had been a very long, difficult day… One that wasn't even done yet for me. I still had to set up the TV downstairs, pack my clothes away, set up my computer, set up the TV in my room, teach Neo how to use a computer… And I was planning to take on the job change quest tonight!
'Huh… So, this is what it's like to be a parent…' I thought to myself.
I made an old favourite of mine for dinner, something that you couldn't really go wrong with: spaghetti bolognaise. There were many variations of the recipe, of course, but I went with a simple one. Didn't want to overload Neo's unexperienced tastebuds all at once.
"Neo!" I called upstairs. "Dinner is on the table!" With that done, I took a seat, taking no time at all to hear the hurrying of footsteps as Neo ran through the hall, rushing down the stairs, and hurrying into the dining room.
She stared at the food in awe as she slowly sat at the table, she looked at me with an expression of deep gratitude that I couldn't help but smile upon seeing.
"It's no trouble," I told her. I offered a small prayer and was about to eat, before I saw her reaching for the food with her hands.
That was how I taught Neo about knives and forks, and how to use them. More the fork than the knife for the time being.
The instant the food met her tongue, her eyes widened and an expression overcame her face. It could only be described as pure euphoria. I was surprised to see tears escaping her eyes as she looked down, letting out soft sounds as she sobbed.
I got up and walked around the table, wrapping my arms around her in a tight hug which she returned, beginning to cry into my chest.
It wasn't a surprise.
As I felt like I'd thought many times, Neo had grown up in the streets. She'd probably had to life off of expired food for a long time, or at least close to expired food. She probably never even dreamed the day would come she could eat a nice homecooked meal, especially one that tasted as good as mine.
"Thank… You…"
I paused as I heard a voice so sweet and gentle, so pure that I thought I was back in the Angel Dungeon and one of them had spoken.
I looked down, seeing Neo looking up at me with a blindingly bright smile.
"Thank… You… Jaune…" She said slowly.
[Your Bond with Neopolitan has increased to Rank B.]
I stared down at her, and hugged her a little tighter. "You have a beautiful voice."
She only blushed and looked away. 'Don't expect to hear it often…'
"I won't," I smiled, loosening my grip on her. She did the same, and we both enjoyed dinner together.
After that, I taught Neo how to do the dishes, and set up the TV downstairs, set up the TV in my room, my game consoles, my computer, and taught Neo how to use hers.
Thankfully she picked it up pretty quickly, so I didn't have to teach her too much… Though I did have to direct her to a website that would teach her how to type properly, she was no doubt going to spend a few hours on there.
With that done, I thought I could sit back and relax…
I was a fool.
You see, at around 8PM- an hour or so after I'd taught Neo how to use the computer and right after I'd finished setting up everything else- Neo came into my room.
"What is it, Neo?" I asked her.
'Where's the shower? And, um… How do I use it exactly?'
… And that was the next thirty minutes of my life, teaching Neo how to use the shower, the importance of washing her hands, how to use loofas, why she should wash her body thoroughly, the importance of shampoo…
"When I was in the shower this morning, I was not expecting the day to go like this," I mumbled to myself as I booted up a game.
Thankfully, Xenoblade took my mind off how long and tiring the day was. And Neo didn't come in again asking for help, though she did knock on the door and say goodnight at around 9:30, able to hear the yawn in her voice when she did so.
While she went to bed, I took out an MP recovery potion and drank it just to bring my MP to max in preparation for the job change quest. I saw my MP shoot up to max, and nodded.
I opened my inventory, equipping one of my tracksuits. Not the blood covered one, and not one of the new ones I'd just bought. A slightly older one with blue pants and a matching shirt, as well as equipping my boots and gloves.
Just to be safe, I waited until 10PM before I got up, ready to leave, before I looked back at the bed and frowned…
Neo was going to come into my bed tonight. My intuition was telling me that, if I didn't leave a note, then something bad would happen. I didn't hesitate in grabbing a pen and paper, writing a short note on it for her.
'I've gone out to do something important. I should be back before morning, sleep in my bed if it makes you feel better. Jaune.'
Satisfied with my note, I quietly opened my door and snuck through the house and down the stairs, before I opened the door and closed it behind me, heading out to the forest.
A few minutes later, and I was stood in a small clearing in the shallow part of the forest. I looked at the notification screen that had been up all day, one I hadn't closed.
[A Job Change Quest has been issued.]
Will you accept?
I chose yes.
The instant I did so, a crackling purple portal appeared in front of me. I did a few stretches, cracking my knuckles and my neck.
"Well then… Time to head in…" I gave a small grin. "Job Change… I sure hope it's fun…"
As I stepped through the portal, a vision assaulted me. A vision of a warrior dressed in blood red armour, menacing crimson eyes staring at me from under it.
At that time, my intuition put six simple words into my mind.
The game is only just beginning.
Publish Date: 4th October 2020
Word Count: 5,413
Another chapter done and dusted.
Jaune finally gave in, allowing himself to form a Guardian Bond with Ruby and Yang as he came to realise the bond wasn't forced at all, it was only a lie he was telling himself so he wouldn't get Ruby and Yang too involved with the dangers of the System. Now that he's accepted that, the bond was formed between them, and his resolution to accept them unlocked his Sun and Storm flames.
Neo, growing up on the streets, had to be taught many things we take for granted. Such as how to use a computer, how to use a shower, the importance of keeping clean, and things like that.
I know some of you are thinking the Sun and Storm Flames should have been swapped around, with Ruby having Storm and Yang having Sun. I'm using a personality basis for their flames, and it simply makes more sense for Yang to have Storm flames as she's rather quick to anger, as we all know. Ruby is a bundle of sunshine, so Sun flames make complete sense. I'm not going to just give them flames that match up with their colour theme.
Next chapter is going to cover the entirety of the Job Change Quest, so you can expect it to be a fair deal longer than other chapters in the story. My reasoning is I don't want to stretch out the quest to two or possibly even three chapters, when it's just easier to do it all in one chapter as there isn't really a huge passage of time.
With that out of the way, time to respond to reviews!
NyaNyaKittyFace: I don't have anything against your religion. I don't have anything against any religion actually... Well, except one but that's a personal matter. The reason he fought/killed Saint Peter is because Saint Peter is the one who determines if people may enter heaven or not, making him something of a Gatekeeper. I wanted to stay accurate to biblical accounts, hence why he fought him.
RedDemonEye: If he entered a Hell Themed Dungeon, then no. Dungeons in this are based off of Solo Levelling, where monsters hear a voice constantly in their head to 'Protect the Area in which they reside.' Jaune is seen as an intruder, and so they fight against him. If he went into actual Hell, not a Dungeon, he'd probably be welcomed amongst the demons as a comrade in arms.
GiltLawyer9000: The concept of gods is a thing, but that will be elaborated on at another time.
That's all for now. Just below this, I'll be posting what Black Dragon's Enlightenment can do.
Well, until next time! This is Ezras Hargrave, signing off!
[Black Dragon's Enlightenment (Active) – Rank A++ – Lv. MAX]
A state of supreme focus. The user's senses are pushed to their absolute limits, allowing them to sense and foresee attacks almost before they happen. Cost: 1MP
Time Limit: 10 Minutes.
Cooldown: 1 Hour